Bay of Pigs 1961

Bay of Pigs 1961

By Christina Pino-Marina
washingtonpost.com
Monday, April 16, 2001; 10:46 PM

On today’s 40th anniversary of a failed invasion of Cuba, a recent visit to the communist island by a group of Bay of Pigs

veterans is dividing an aging community of Cuban Americans who participated in one of the Cold War's most bitter confrontations.

A wreath-laying ceremony in Miami today follows a Saturday commemoration at Arlington National Cemetery, where a small group of Bay of Pigs fighters honored more than 100 of their fallen comrades at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

But the most controversial ceremony took place in Cuba a few weeks ago, when five veterans visited the site of the 1961 invasion and met with their former adversaries, including Cuban generals and Fidel Castro, the Cuban leader they had tried to overthrow. The U.S.-sponsored mission failed in 1961 when President John F. Kennedy scaled back air support for the 1,500 CIA-trained fighters.

One of the five who attended the March conference -- sponsored by the National Security Archive, a private organization that works to declassify national security documents -- Mario Cabello was expelled from the Bay of Pigs Veterans Association in Miami last week upon his return from the conference. Cabello's ship was sunk by Cuban fighter planes during the 1961 invasion.

"Imagine after 40 years going back to the place where it happened. It was like a holy place," he said, recalling the beaches on Cuba's southern shores where the invasion took place. "Thousands of emotions came back. I remembered the faces of the dead, the coldness, the uncertainty, the anguish –- it all comes to you in a moment. It became very emotional. I couldn't hold it back."

Kennedy's refusal to provide sufficient air cover for the invaders left them vulnerable to air attacks from Castro's military. More than 1,000 were captured in surrounding swamps and imprisoned. About 100 of the invaders and 150 of Castro's defenders were killed. In December 1962, the United States government paid the Cuban government $53 million in food, medicine and medical equipment in exchange for the return of the prisoners.

Cabello, now a 58-year-old clerk at a trucking company in Miami, said he was called a "traitor" by fellow Bay of Pigs veterans who resented his recent trip to Cuba.

"I told them I don’t want to be a part of an organization like that, if I can’t express my beliefs," he said. "This trip was great opportunity to face our old adversaries. If we get involved in dialogue we could see respect for human rights, for freedom of expression."

For many veterans, the conference -- which also included Kennedy aides Arthur Schlesinger Jr. and Richard Goodwin, members of the Kennedy family, and former CIA officials Robert Reynolds and Sam Halpern -- symbolized a betrayal of a decades-old struggle against Castro and communism.

"I participated with 1,500 people to try to liberate Cuba," said 59-year-old Manuel Alonso, a veteran from the 3rd Battalion who now lives in Northern Virginia. "We have not changed our position. We feel that we have to continue to fight in our principles."

The dispute among veterans mirrors an ongoing debate about U.S.-Cuba relations.

Despite some easing of charter flights and the permission of U.S. sales of food and medicine, U.S. policy toward Cuba remains much as it was during the Cold War. President Bush has said he does not plan to end the 40-year-old trade embargo against the island until Castro allows free elections, freedom of the press and the liberation of political prisoners.

But Alfredo Duran, another Bay of Pigs veteran who attended the March conference, said the embargo is a mistake.

"The embargo has kept Castro in power. It helps maintain the status quo," said Duran, a 64-year-old Miami lawyer who had made two previous trips to Cuba. "Change has to start with dialogue."

Still, as long as Castro remains in power, some do not consider dialogue an option.

"I would go back tomorrow immediately, but I will go back with a free Cuba and no Castro or Castros," said Julio Caballero Silva, a 56-year-old veteran from Brewster, N.Y., who participated in the recent ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. "I don’t like them at all. They all killed my people. They destroyed my country. Nothing has changed. Castro continues in Cuba and we still struggle to keep Cuba free again."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.